Healthy Beast

The Brand New Heavies: finding their sound and staying sane

Pioneers of the acid jazz movement, Andrew Levy and Simon Bartholomew of The Brand New Heavies talk about finding their groove, breaking America, and going on tour in their fifties. 

Intro track: For The Dancers from The Brand New Heavies Presents The Elephant In The Room.

Band sponsored by Truth Naturals CBD. 

 

Ketamine to treat depression - calling it 'horse tranquilizer' doesn't help

What do you know about ketamine? That it's a party drug, and an anaesthetic for horses? Both are true, but this is not helping it get taken seriously for other potential uses. Ketamine has huge potential as a treatment for depression, according to Dr Tiago Marques, a psychiatrist and senior clinical fellow at Imperial College London.

He talks about rising mental health problems over the lockdowns, how ketamine and other drugs could help, and the important steps to take before starting any treatment for depression. 

Tiago is also CEO of Pasithea Therapeutics, a biotech company focused on mental health. 

 

Medical cannabis deadlock turns parents to crime

Hannah Deacon's son Alfie Dingley was the first person to receive an NHS prescription for medical cannabis. Sadly other children with severe epilepsy have not been so lucky. Hannah has written to Boris Johnson urging him to "stop the suffering of children" whose desperate families are left either raising money for expensive private prescriptions, or having to buy cannabis on the black market. Hear her inspiring story of how cannabis saved her son's life. To urge your local MP to take action, please go to the Change.org campaign with 650,000 signatures and counting.   

Mark Ormrod: don't listen to that little voice in your head

If you think open-water swimming is difficult, imagine doing it with just one arm. Mark Ormrod MBE is a former Royal Marine who lost both legs and his right arm in an explosion in Afghanistan. He talks about going from being a strong swimmer, to someone who nearly drowned in an indoor swimming pool. But with the same determination that saw him refuse to spend his life in a wheelchair, Mark's swim, together with a 5k run on prosthetics, has raised almost half a million pounds for REORG, a charity that helps military personnel and first responders keep on top of their physical and mental health. 

Mark is an ambassador for Truth Naturals CBD.

 

 

 

Why are doctors still refusing to prescribe cannabis?

Medical cannabis is technically legal in the UK, but that does not mean you can get it. For thousands of children with epilepsy, this can be a matter of life and death. For millions more, cannabis represents a far healthier alternative to medicines like opioids. Today I am joined by Professor Mike Barnes, who secured the first NHS prescription for cannabis in 2018, and Ricardo Geada, a lawyer specialising in the field. We talk about what is stopping cannabis prescriptions, and why there is cause for hope. 

Tough military types need mental health safeguards too

Mo Morris is mental health resilience lead for the Royal Marines, and talks about how you can see someone every day and have no idea what kind of issues they may be having.

A lot of the focus around mental health is about the treatment of problems. Mo's job is prevention, rather than cure. And taking care of yourself follows the same principles whether you are serving in Afghanistan or sitting behind a desk. 

Find out more at CANTCANWILL.

 

Psychedelics like DMT could revolutionise the treatment of depression

Would you take a psychedelic to help treat depression? Dr Carol Routledge is the chief scientific and medical officer for a company called Small Pharma that is working on innovative treatments for depression and other mental health conditions.

Anti-depressants have their place, but they take time to work and often do not get to the heart of the problem. Early trials with DMT-based treatment have shown incredibly encouraging results. 

 

Former Royal Marines commando Sam Laird

As his friends went off to university, Sam was writing a will and heading to Afghanistan. On four tours of duty he lost many close friends, but the toughest thing for Sam - like so many others - was leaving the military behind. 

Sam has turned his experiences into a positive and now coaches and mentors a wide-range of people, using his incredibly determined mindset to help others benefit from the dark and the light that comes from what he has been through. 

With thanks to everyone at REORG - a charity that uses martial arts and other activities to help veterans and others improve their mental and physical health. 

 

 

 

'After Parkinson's diagnosis I offered my husband a way out'

When Vicky Rees-Davies - aka The Fitness Mum on Instagram - was diagnosed with Parkinson's aged just 46, the first thing she did was ask her husband if he wanted to leave.

As a personal trainer with an extremely positive attitude, Vicky has been inspiring clients by continuing to teach ‘even when her left hand can’t keep up with the right’.

On Saturday 14th May, Vicky is doing a 24-hour fitness challenge with a former England rugby player to raise money for Parkinson’s research. 

Five marathons in 50 hours to save 12-year-old Aggie

Darren Hardy served 15 years in the British Army before being discharged with PTSD. After suffering suicidal thoughts, he turned to extreme endurance challenges to keep him focused and positive. His latest mission is to run five marathons in 50 hours non-stop for a 12-year-old girl called Aggie, who has been diagnosed with H-ABC - the world’s rarest brain disease. Darren talks about meeting Aggie for the first time the day before this podcast and about how he’s getting ready for his extreme race to find a cure. 

To find out more please visit justgiving.com/fundraising/darren-hardy123